Chapter Thirty-One: A Solo Challenge Against the Six Paths of Pain

... In the present world, Kabuto carefully propped up Orochimaru's "corpse" against a massive boulder. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the threat of imminent conflict. Nagato needed an outlet for his rage.

One of the Pains carried Yahiko away, while the remaining four blocked Kabuto and the others. Among them, the Hell Path Pain summoned an enormous king of Hell’s head, tossing the corpse of a Sound ninja into its maw. After a moment’s chewing, a new Deva Path Pain was created.

The Pains were nearly immortal, largely due to the Hell Path’s restoration ability. While the Rinnegan itself could repair the Pains directly, the chakra cost was immense—so great that even Nagato, a member of the Uzumaki clan blessed with abundant chakra, could not sustain it more than a few times. Enduring the power of both Rinnegan had already left him paralyzed. Thus, in theory, if one destroyed the Hell Path first, the remaining Pains could be eliminated one by one.

Of course, forging a new Deva Path Pain from a fresh corpse consumed even more chakra. Yet Nagato still went through with it, a clear sign that he was ready for a serious confrontation.

Kabuto, Kimimaro, Guren, and the Sound Four stood at the ready. However, only Kabuto and Kimimaro truly intended to fight; Guren and the Sound Four were merely testing the waters. Their plan was to feign resistance, hoping Kabuto and Kimimaro would be killed, and if the situation remained safe, they would then defect.

At that moment, Orochimaru awoke.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Kabuto was the first to notice, having kept a close watch for any sign of Orochimaru’s recovery. With Orochimaru’s return to consciousness, the impending clash paused. The Pains also turned their gazes toward him. Orochimaru was the one responsible for reviving Yahiko, the root cause of Nagato’s turmoil, and so Nagato's desire for vengeance was focused on him.

Kimimaro let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, his face remaining cold and impassive, though the faintest smile tugged at his lips. He was genuinely pleased to see Orochimaru awake.

Guren and the Sound Four quickly suppressed any thoughts of rebellion, drawing closer with concerned expressions. "Lord Orochimaru, are you all right?" they asked, grateful they had not acted rashly upon hearing rumors of Orochimaru’s death. Their caution had paid off.

Everyone harbored their own schemes, but Orochimaru cared little for any of it. Rising to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings with a slight frown. His soul had wandered the realm of the dead, leaving his body vulnerable in the living world—a dangerous state indeed. Next time, he resolved to devise a way to bring his body along.

He glanced at his subordinates—Kabuto, Kimimaro, Guren, the Sound Four—his gaze passing over them all with equal indifference, neither favoring nor dismissing any. This very attitude only deepened Kabuto and Kimimaro’s reverence and trust, while it sent chills down the spines of Guren and the Sound Four, making them even more fearful and hesitant in their treacherous thoughts.

Finally, Orochimaru locked eyes with Pain, who was staring back. Sparks seemed to fly between them.

Orochimaru coveted Nagato’s Rinnegan, while Pain sought to vent his fury upon Orochimaru. The tension was electric—a battle was inevitable.

...

In the Sound Village, Sasuke moved with the crowd, his expression hollow, his spirit devoid of hope. As Pain attacked, chaos erupted, and everyone scrambled to hide, following Kabuto’s orders.

Sasuke trudged along numbly, his eyes vacant. “Without Orochimaru, there’s no one who can teach me to become stronger!” He’d been desperate for Orochimaru’s guidance in his training, but had never even managed to meet him. Now, he realized just how precious the opportunity had been back in Konoha, when Orochimaru had actively sought him out. If only he had seized that moment.

He thought of Naruto—since arriving in the Sound Village, Naruto’s growth had been explosive, especially after Orochimaru transplanted an arm containing the First Hokage’s cells. Naruto’s mastery of Wood Release was now far beyond Sasuke’s reach. At this point, Naruto could easily defeat him with a single jutsu.

“Damn it! I’m supposed to be the strongest! I still have to kill that man!” Sasuke’s face twisted with darkening thoughts. Desperate to become stronger, he no longer cared who his teacher was—as long as they had power.

Suddenly, Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He thought of Pain. If Pain could invade the Sound Village and plunge it into such turmoil, he must be incredibly strong. Sasuke resolved to seek Pain out and ask for his guidance.

...

In the realm of the dead, the Sage of Six Paths moved to check and organize the underworld before heading to the living world. The reincarnations of Ashura and Indra had to remain unharmed.

Reflecting, he recalled that throughout history, Indra’s reincarnations had always been remarkably talented, easily outstripping Ashura’s in terms of cultivation and prowess. Indra’s reincarnations inherited his ocular bloodline and his gift for ninjutsu, growing ever stronger. In contrast, Ashura’s reincarnations could only truly challenge Indra’s with the support of the masses.

He could only hope this time Ashura’s reincarnation would not be too weak.

...

Bang!

Orochimaru and the Pains clashed. Kabuto and the others retreated, leaving Orochimaru to face Pain alone. The one who had escorted Yahiko away had returned, likely after hiding Yahiko in a safe place. Orochimaru now faced a six-on-one battle.

"Heh." Orochimaru did not use the Reanimation Jutsu; he wanted to test the results of his recent experiments through his own hands.

Pain showed no mercy—over the years, whenever he struck, death followed. Though he knew he could not kill Orochimaru completely, he was determined to destroy the body before him.

“Strange Arm Rocket!”

The Asura Path Pain stepped forward, clenching his fists and launching them from his arms like rockets at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru smiled faintly. Forming a rapid sequence of hand seals—Serpent, Goat, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger—he brought a hand to his lips and unleashed a torrent of fire: Great Fireball Technique!

The flying fists were nearly melted by the flames, forcing Asura Path Pain to retract them with a surge of chakra.

Asura Path lowered his head, and the iron plates atop his skull opened like flower petals, a beam of energy gathering at the center.

“Head Laser Cannon!” This attack could severely injure even the Six-Tails.

With a thunderous roar, the laser fired.

Orochimaru’s eyes narrowed. As the attack began to charge, he swiftly formed hand seals and pressed his palms to the ground: Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.

A thick stone barrier rose before him, just as the laser struck. The wall exploded, debris and smoke filling the air, and Orochimaru vanished into the haze.

“Hm?” The six pairs of Pain’s eyes scanned for him—just as Orochimaru reappeared at Asura Path’s flank and struck him with a powerful kick, sending him flying.

With a tremendous crash, the Asura Path was visibly destroyed—one Pain down.

“Summoning: Wheel of Life!”

Hell Path Pain acted at once to repair the Asura Path, while the Animal Path began summoning reinforcements.

“Summoning: Monster Bird!”

“Summoning: Fighting Bull!”

“Summoning: Rhino!”

“Summoning: Stone Panda!”

“Summoning: Hell Hound!”

In an instant, a horde of monstrous summons appeared and charged at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru leapt back, forming hand seals in midair—Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Goat—then slammed his palm to the earth.

“Summoning: Serpent Horde!”

With a thunderous crash, dozens of gigantic snakes erupted from the ground, each tens of meters long and terrifyingly fierce. At their center loomed Manda, the strongest of them all.